UF departments should plan ahead for extended holiday closing period

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Departments throughout the University of Florida are encouraged to plan ahead for their staffing needs this holiday season.

The university will be closed beginning Dec. 25 and will reopen Jan. 2. Monday, Dec. 24, is not included in the holiday closing period, so employees who wish to take that day off should request vacation leave.

Beginning Dec. 2, all TEAMS employees, 12-month faculty, and postdoctoral associates will be credited with four personal leave days to be used during the period of Dec. 26 to 31 when the university is closed for the holidays.

UF vice presidents — working with their deans, directors and department chairs—will determine which employees should be deemed “essential” and required to work during this period. Those designated “essential” may use their personal leave days at another time from Dec. 2 through June 30, 2013. Non-essential employees must use the time during the closing period.

Employees designated “essential” may use personal leave days in less than full-day increments. Therefore, if a designated essential employee is required to work part of a day from Dec. 26 to 31, the hours remaining in that workday (when the employee is not at work) should be reported using the “DPL” (December Personal Leave) time-reporting code. The employee will be able to use the unused portion of DPL before the end of the fiscal year, even though it may be in less than a full-day increment.

In keeping with past practice, in order to be eligible for paid holidays and DPL, employees must be in pay status for a reasonable amount of time (determined by each employee’s department) on their last scheduled workday before the holiday period.

For more information, call 352-392-2477 or email central-leave@ufl.edu.